Sarah Kerch, MPH
Assistant Director for Leadership, Organizational Change, & Workforce Development
Policy, Practice and Prevention Research Center
DrPH Student, DrPH Program
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Email:
About
Sarah Kerch, MPH is a seasoned public health leader and the Assistant Director at the Policy, Practice, and Prevention Research Center at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. In this role, she directs a portfolio of training and workforce development programs offered to Illinois governmental public health professionals through the CDC Public Health Infrastructure Grant, including a rigorous multi-month leadership institute supported by an in-depth evaluation plan.
With over a decade of experience advancing public health capacity and leadership, Sarah has directed national technical assistance and training efforts for all 65 CDC-funded comprehensive cancer control programs. During this time, she also served as President of the Comprehensive Cancer Control National Partnership, where she led strategic collaboration among federal and national organizations to strengthen cancer prevention and control efforts nationwide. She previously served as Director of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and Collaborative, where she built and sustained cross-sector coalitions to implement evidence-based strategies. Earlier in her career, she supported systems-level change in chronic disease prevention for suburban and rural Illinois local health departments and collaboratively led the establishment of HealthConnect One's accreditation for community-based doula programs across the United States.
Sarah holds a Master of Public Health from UIC and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) as a member of the 2022 cohort. Her academic and professional journey reflects a deep commitment to cultivating the next generation of public health leaders and advancing equity-centered, practice-based solutions.